Dania Maxwell/Staff
Travelers check-in at the Delta window at Southwest Florida International Airport on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013 in Fort Myers, Fla. Many flights were canceled for travelers heading to areas of the Northeast and New England due to a winter storm.

FORT MYERS - 8343465

More than two dozen canceled flights will lead to extra time in the sun for some Northeast residents.

Twenty-six flights scheduled to depart from and arrive at Southwest Florida International Airport on Friday were canceled Friday, an airport official said.

"It's a dynamic situation," Southwest Florida International Airport spokeswoman Vicki Moreland said. "The best thing people can do is get on their carrier's website and check to see what their carrier is doing."

Ahead of a blizzard that is pounding New England, 18 outgoing flights and eight incoming flights Friday were canceled. The flights involved six cities: New York City; Boston; Toronto; Buffalo, N.Y.; Newark, N.J.; and Hartford, Conn.

A handful of Saturday flights were also scrapped, with JetBlue canceling six — four to Boston, one to New York City and one to Newark, N.J.

Although sunshine has been plentiful in Southwest Florida, the winter storm is expected to dump up to 3 feet of snow in areas of the Northeast and New England.

The Daily News visited seven hotels around the airport, many of which were filled to capacity before news of the blizzard broke. Some prepared travelers departed early to avoid canceled flight, several hotel employees said.

"Most people were very aware of this storm coming in ahead of time and the airlines have also taken a very advanced stance on this," Moreland said. "We haven't had a lot of crowds here."

Travelers are encouraged to monitor arrivals and departures on Southwest Florida International Airport's website, flylcpa.com.